Fuzzy Marketing
February 26th, 2008 | Michael Q. Pink
Today, we continue with guest content from David G. Johnson of Epiphany Marketing.
Yesterday, we talked about getting clear on your identity. Knowing who you are is absolutely fundamental to marketing - no matter what business you’re in. So… what business are you really in?
The Starbucks example is a fun one (thanks for the great feedback, by the way). They definitely sell coffee. They make a variety of beverages. Legal addictive stimulants are in virtually every beverage they make (does anyone really buy decaf?). And they truly create an experience designed to bring pleasure to the senses… to truly entertain. Of course, this is the factor that adds the most value to the commodity they sell and… yes, it’s why people pay more than they have to pay every single day. Starbucks customers are not buying just a commodity. Are yours?
Given that they could key off of any of those options (there isn’t a “wrong” one in the list), do you see the far-reaching implications of their choice? That simple, critical decision will determine virtually everything about the marketing decisions they make. And yet, simple as it is, when you’re working on this for your own business, this step can be one of the most difficult. Why? Because most of us are dealing with some degree of fuzziness about our identity.
If you are fuzzy about your identity… how can your customers and future customers possibly be clear that you are the right choice to meet their needs? Fuzzy logic may be great in mathematics, but in marketing it’s deadly. It’s the difference between nailing the bullseye and missing the target entirely.
Don’t make another marketing decision until you settle this essential question. You’ll get your best results on this work when you pair up with someone outside your business who can serve as a “sounding board.” As my clients and trainees have all heard me say, you can’t read the label from inside the bottle.
Tomorrow: who are your customers?
Don’t miss the upcoming conference call on marketing that David and I will be holding. All the details will be in your inbox shortly!
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February 26th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Asking the question “what are you selling?” along with the fuzzy marketing idea “what is that you think you are trying to sell?” and then seeing that question for tomorrow “who are your customers?”….. those concept questions have me asking myself not “what am I selling?” but …. What is it that people are buying? or what fruit are my customers actually consuming? Sure we can say, “Oh that’s just semantics.” But I would have to say, it’s making me re-evaluate “what AM I selling?” I mean…. I think I want to sell XYZ….. yeah I think that’s it?!? But really….. the customers answer that question for us. We just need to check the data. And it may be time to check our inventory of product offerings.
Here’s an example of what I mean. One of the most important things in successful internet search engine marketing is knowing how people are searching. Many businesses who want to get on board with search engine marketing think it’s like PUSH marketing (billboards, tv, radio, newspaper). However, it is not. Search marketing is PULL marketing. Basically, people go to a search engine and type in exactly what they are looking for. They are out there waving their hand saying pick me pick me, this is exactly what I want! People actually provide the data one needs to determine what to sell. Many businesses can’t get their head around the fact that this is how people are now consuming. So what I mean by check the data is…. with search marketing it’s easy because we know what people want to buy. We have reams of data of how they search. For many businesses, they can only check their inventory to see what they are selling. The post from yesterday is right…. McDonalds is in the REAL ESTATE business. They know that wherever they build a restaurant people are going to buy french fries (they checked the data).
And yes all this applies to business but I’m speaking more specifically about an individual’s life purpose. What is the fruit that people are eating…. fruit that came from you? If you are unclear that you are an apple tree (identity) and supposed to be making apples, then your marketing is FUZZY.
Thanks David. Great thought provoking stuff!
February 26th, 2008 at 11:27 am
They say that the ghost of Thomas J. Watson, Sr. walked the halls of IBM after his death. His identity was so certain that as an entrepreneur he was able to define a business and then an industry. And that is despite his famously misreading the market: “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
The systems that Alfred Sloan put in place defined GM into success.
Identity is a template that can define a thing for a long time. Jesus had the best identity of all; strong enough to define the church from its inception for all the future.